I've got shimmy in my steering wheel in my 1987 maxima sedan and I figured that I just needed the front tires balanced. I took my car to the local tire shop and they told me that my total estimate is $176.21, including realignment of my recently aligned wheels. Whoa! I wasn't expecting that! Apparently my inner tie rod ends need replaced. How hard can it actually be to replace them? Has anybody else changed their inner tie rod ends lately, or have some great advice for me? I was told that I need some kind of expensive, special tool to get the job done. Can I just rent this tool from the auto parts store? Or do have to buy it myself?

Thank you,
Nick

 

renting tools, now theres a thought

 

I rented that one tool thingy for taking off the inner tie rod end, and got my refund when I returned the tool. I think that has to be the least fun job I have ever performed on my maxima. It is not so bad dealing with the tie rod, it is more of a hassle having to deal with the inner tie rod boot. First I couldn't figure out how to get the metal clamp off, then I couldn't get the f'in boot back on after the new tie rod was on. Little space to work with. Oily, greasy fingers and hands. Then to make it even funner was trying to get that dang metal clamp back together. I got it for the right side of the car, but I couldn't get it for the left side of the car, so I just used a plastic cable clamp and said screw it.

 

As much money as I thought I was going to save... I put on those inner tie rods and took my car to get an alignment. They called me back and said they couldn't do it because my steering rack was bad too. I'm pretty sure that is something I don't want to mess with. They said the car cannot be aligned so that I could drive it, I have to go through with the operation... $250 for the part comes to about $300-350 with labor. My last roommate wasn't kidding when he said that if you get a credit card, it is going to get maxed out with car parts. Man was he ever right!

I was just getting ready to post this car for sale, but now that all the problems that I originally thought were minor are taken care of, and with all of the money I have put into the car, I might as keep her.

Nick

 

not tryin to jack youre thread but idk if this is a ti rod or what and it makes noises every time i tern and i have no clue what hapen to the boot to cover this .......it has been sittin in mexico for a really really long time and i just inherited her and just tryin to get her fixed anny who i took some pics and if anny one could tell me if its saposed to look like this http://forums.maxima.org/album.php?albumid=3243

 

that my friend are your axles. they need replacement... as for the inner tie rod thing i dot know what it looks like or new a rod needed balancing ?????

 

yeah bro replace those axles, dont eve rebuild them just replace.

as for the inner tie rod i just said bump it and bought a new rack off of a junked maxima for 35 dlls LOL!

 

how hard is it to change the axels ...and can it be done in a drive way

 

yep, gonna need a 32mm socket and a big *** breaker bar

left..

take brake caliper and rotor off

take off the tie rod end 19mm

strut tower to knuckel bolts 2x 17mm bolts/nuts

lower ball joint 3x 17mm

then pull it out put new one in

right..

same as left but there is 3 12mm bolts holding the axle in by the engine block

 

ps... best to unscrew the axle bolts while the car is on the ground.. and the same when tightening the nut back up ..

 

who makes a good axel ????

 

any axle will do their are no good or bad axles... you worry about axles when you are running high torque numbers ... so your local parts store should have some or they will rebuild yours with new parts...

 

ok i took the tie rod nut off so i could change the dirt cover cuz thay were torn up but i cant get the bolt back on . was i not saposed to take it all the way off ???

 

i put my axels back to gether and whin i was putting trans mission fulid in it leeked y is that ......could it be because i didnt greese up the axel stub ???

 

I think I have a new tie rod laying around from my old 87 maxima